Can Q2 Earnings Propel BlackRock (BLK) Stock To New Highs?

Shares of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) , which are trading close to their 52-week high with a year-to-date gain of about 15%, might test highs post the company’s second-quarter 2017 results on Jul 17. That’s because year-over-year growth in revenues and earnings is expected this time.

Moreover, BlackRock is very likely to beat earnings estimates this time around. The company topped earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 2.6%.

Why a Likely Positive Surprise?

According to our proven model, BlackRock has the right combination of two key ingredients — positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better — to increase the odds of an earnings beat.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at +0.19%. This is a major indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise.

Zacks Rank: BlackRock’s Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) when combined with a positive ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat.

BlackRock, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Factors to Drive Better-than-Expected Results

BlackRock continues to dominate the ETF market with its brand initiatives. Moreover, driven by a rise in equity inflows in the second quarter, the company’s U.S. iShares inflows remained strong. This might have strengthened its assets under management.

The New York-based asset manager remains well diversified geographically. Thus, the average fee rate is likely to rise, driven by higher international flows amid recovering global economic conditions.

However, higher expenses could be a dampening factor. BlackRock has witnessed rising expenses over the last few years. Its plans of restructuring traditional actively managed equities business and improving product offerings might lead to an increase in expenses in the to-be-reported quarter.

The company’s activities encouraged analysts to revise estimates upward. As a result, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter inched up 1.5% to $5.37 in the last seven days.

Other Stocks Worth a Look

Here are a few other finance stocks that you may want to consider, as they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter, according to our model.

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is slated to release results on Jul 28. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.37% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Federated Investors, Inc. (NYSE:FII) has an Earnings ESP of +2.04% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is also slated to release results on Jul 27.

Lazard Ltd (NYSE:LAZ) is scheduled to release results on Jul 27. It has an Earnings ESP of +7.69% and carries a Zacks Rank #2.

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